How it happened: Coach Tom Thibodeau knew that if his Bulls were going to win this game, they had to slow down Anthony Davis -- and that didn't happen. Davis led the Pelicans with 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

D.J. Augustin had 23 points and seven assists to lead the Bulls and Joakim Noah chipped in with 14 points and 16 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Thibodeau's team struggled offensively all night.

What it means: Davis' play was the key for New Orleans and underscored where the Bulls had the most problems. They got crushed down low -- a problem compounded by the fact that they didn't shoot it well from the field. Aside from Augustin, and to a lesser extent Noah, the Bulls had no answers. For the Bulls to get back on track, they must get more out of Carlos Boozer. He was ineffective throughout the night and had just four points and four rebounds.